Automatic gate-locking device for mine-shafts.



G. A. SCHREIERZ;

AUTOMATIC GATE LOCKING DEVICE FOR MINE SHAFTS.

APPLICATION mp0 AUGS. 1912 1,188,106. 4 Patented June 20,1916.

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, $05774 VE r4. SCHfE/f/P WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTOR N EY THE coLummA PLANOGRAPH c0" WASHINGTON. n. c.

1,188,106. Patented June 20,1916.

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Jv p 9 N WITNESSES INVENTOR d f'haiml I 5 ATTOR NEY THE coLuMBu gLANdBRAPn co., WASHINGTON, n. c-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. GUSTAVE A. SCI-IREIER, 0F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GATE-LOCKING DEVICE FOR MINE-SHAFTS.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gus'ravn A. Sonnnmn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamonand State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Gate- Locking Devices for Mine-Shafts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrically operated automatic gate locking devices for mine shafts.

The main object of my invention is to provide a gate locking device which will prevent accident and loss of life by protecting the mouth of a mine shaft by suitably locked and controlled gates.

Another object of my invention is to provide automatic means for unlocking the gates when the cage is at the landing before the gates.

A further object of my invention is to provide signals by which the attendants may have accurate knowledge of the state of the gates leading to the mouth of the mine shaft.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings :Figure.1 is an elevation of the complete device with the exception of the electrical wiring. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lock box mounted on the center tipple support. Fig. 3 is an electrical wiring diagram of the device of my in- I vention. Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the automatic timing and circuit-closing device with the lid removed. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the automatic timing and circuitclos ing device taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, with the exception of shaft 54 which is shown in full. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the locking device with the lid removed.

Referring to the drawings, 67 designates the center supporting column of the mine U shaft tipple, upon which lock boxes and 50 are mounted; 22 and 22 are. the gates or doors placed at the entrance of the mine shaft; and 1 and 1 are hooks or catches rigidly mounted to gates 22 and 22 respectively.

The locking device comprises latch 2 pivotedon the side of lock box 50 by pin 61; link member 8 pivoted to latch 2 at its upper end and 'to lever 9 at its lower end; electromagnet 32 having its positive pole free and its negative pole forming a fulcrum for le- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1912.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Serial No. 713,167.

gear 10, which with secondary contact disk 7 49 and insulating spacing ring 53 are mounted on shaft 54; collector rings 39 and 10 insulated from and mounted on shaft 12; primary contact disks 33 and 34: with insulating spacing ring mounted on shaft 12 and contact fingers 41,37,38,42, l3,47 and 44 mounted upon insulating block 52. Shaft 12 rotates worm 11 which meshes with worm gear 10. Worm gear 10, insulating spacing ring 53 and secondary contact disk 49, being riveted together, rotate simultaneously about shaft 54:. a On the face of secondary contact disk 19 is mounted a contact plate 18 with two spaced contact points i6 and 45 extending to its outer edge. On primary contact disks 33 and 34 are mounted spaced contact points 35 and 36, which are electrically connected to insulated collector rings 39 and 40 by plates 56 and 57. 58 and 59 areinsulating rings. 65 designates the bearings anchored to the'side of case 51 and form the supports for shaft 12. The timing and automatic circuit-closing device is rotated, through the medium of bevel gears 13, 14, 16 and 17 with shafts 12, 15, and 18, by gear 19. Gear 19 is shown mounted on gear 20, which may be any gear in connection with the rotating shaft of the hoist drum operating the cages of the mine shaft. 66 designates the bearings supporting the shafting on which the bevel gears are mounted. On any suitable switchboard ()3 are mounted four-pole switches 23 and 24-, a fuse base 25 and pilot lamps 26 and 27. Four-pole switches 23 and 2 1, also known in the art as two-way switches, are of the variety in which the negative and positive lines cross at right angles inthe switch. 28 and 29 are danger signallamps mounted on case 51. 30 and 31 are resistance units for the protection of the magnet coils 32 and 32.

The automatic unlocking of gate 22 will now be explained, gate 22 being unlocked by the same method but by bringing into play the opposite set of mechanism: The

gearing connecting the automatic timing and. circuit-closing device to the rotating shaft of the hoist, and the contact point 35 on primary contact disk 33, together with contact point 416 on secondary contact disk il-9, are so arranged that when the cage is at the landing before gate or door 22, contact finger 87 will be in connection with contact point of the primary contact disk 33, and contact finger will be in connection with contact point 46 on secondary contact disk 41.9. The current flows through the positive generator line P through fuse base 25 to contact finger 47 which is in contact with contact plate 48 of secondary contact disk 49; thence through contact point 46 and contact finger 43 to contact finger l1 and collector ring 39, which is in electrical conneetion with contact point 35 on the primary contact disk 33 through the medium of plate .57; thence by contact finger 37 through resistance unit 30 and positive line to mag net coil 32; thence to contact spring 6. At this point the attendant will swing the gate outward, a slight clearance being provided between latch 1 and catch 2, which clearance is suflicient to allow the inner end of latch 1 to disengage from contact with the upper end of (IlOg 3, allowing that member to be forced slightly forward at its upper end about pivoting point 62, by spring 60. This action draws link 4 upward and allows con tact to be formed between negative contact member 5 and spring contact member. 6. Magnet coil 32 then being-energized, the free end of lever 9 is. drawn up to the free positive pole of the magnet, drawing down link member 8 and latch 2, and thus unlocking the gate. lVhen the gate is opened, lower leg of dog 3 is pressed upward by spring 60, drawing still farther upward link member 4, and with it contact members 5 and G, forming contact with contact member 7 and lighting the danger signal lamp 28 indicating the opening of that gate.

To unlock gate 22 by the independent circuit-closing device, snap switch 23 is closed, lighting pilot lamp 26, and allowing the current to pass from the positive generator line P through fuse base 25 by positive line to resistance unit 30; thence through positive line to magnet coil 32. When the gate is swung outward, latch 1 discn gages from con tact with the end of dog 3, allowing spring 60 to force dog 3 slightly upward and to draw link 4 upward sufliciently to make contact between contact members 5 and 6. The magnet then being energized, the free end of lever 9 is drawn upward to the free positive pole of the magnet coil, drawing link member 8 downward and with it latch 2, unlocking the gate. Upon the throwing of the snap switch, it will be readily seen that an electrical circuit will be formed through pilot lamp 26, thus indicating that the gate is unlocked and in readiness to be opened. \Vhen the gate is opened the danger signal lamp 28 is lighted, as previously described.

lVhen unlocking the gate by means of a key, the key is inserted in key-hole 61 and tits over the square on d of pin 61 which pro trades slightly through latch 2 for this purpose. By rotating the key the latch 2 may be drawn downward, unlocking the gate. hen the gate is opened by this method, do 3 will move forward suliiciently to allow link 4L to draw contact members 5, 6 and 7 into connection, lighting danger signal lamp 28 as areviously explained.

(/hang'es within the spirit and scope of the appended claims may be made, as it is obvious that details of construction may be varied in many ways. For instance, the danger signal lamps may be substituted by bells or semaphores, the bevel gears driving shaft 12 from the hoist shaft may be displaced by sprocket and chain drive, or the lock boxes may be turned around and mounted on the front of the center tipple support 67 for the accommodation of sliding gates.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a signaling system for mines, the combination with a cage hoisting means, of a gate, an electrically controlled lock for the gate,an electric signal, means actuated by the rotating parts of the hoisting means for operating the lock, and means actuated by the lock for displaying the signal upon the opening of the gate.

2. The combination with a mine cage hoisting means and shaft gates, of locks for the gates, electric signals for indicating the condition of the locks, and electric means actuated by the rotating parts of the cage hoisting means for operating the locks and displaying the signals through the operation of the locks upon the opening of the gates.

3. The combination with a mine cage hoisting engine, of a gate, a latch member carried by the gate, a locking device normally in locking relation with said latch, an electric circuit controlling the locking device, a circuit closing device operated by the rotating parts of the cage hoisting engine to actuate said locking device out of locking relation with said latch, electric signals, and electric means operated through the locking device for setting the signals upon the opening of the gate, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a mine cage hoisting means and a shaft gate, of a lock for the gate comprising a catch member, a latch member carried by the gate and normally held in latched relation with the catch member, an electric circuit including the lock, a circuit closing device operated by rotating parts of the cage hoisting means whereby said catch may be withdrawn from latched relation with the latch, an electric signal circuit including signals, a dog, signal circuit closing means ope'ratively engaged by the dog, a spring positioned to normally act-uate the dog to close the signal circuit, the latch positioned to normally engage the dog to prevent the closing of the signal circuit, and said signal circuit adapted tobe closed through the signals upon the withdrawal of the latch from engagement with the dog when the unlatched door is opened, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a mine cage hoisting means and a shaft gate, of a latch carried by the gate, a catch, a spring normally holding the catch in looking relation with the latch, an electric circuit, an electro-magnet in said circuit, a circuit closing device operated by the rotating parts of the cage hoisting means and comprising moving contact points positioned to move into contact to close the electric circuit through the electro-magnet when a cage is before the shaft gate, a lever pivoted to one of the poles of said magnet, a link pivoted at one end to the lever and at the other end to the catch, said lever and link actuating said catch out of locking relation with said catch when actuated by the closing of the circuit through the electro-magnet, an electric signal circuit including signals, a dog, signal circuit closing means operatively engaged by the dog, a spring positioned to normally actuate the dog to close the signal circuit, the latch positioned to normally engage the dog to prevent the closing of the signal circuit, and said signal circuit adapted to be closed through the signals upon the withdrawal of the latch from engagement with the dog when the unlatched door is opened, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a mine cage hoisting means and a shaft gate, of a latch carried by the gate, a catch,a spring normally holding the catch in locking relation with the latch, a link pivoted at one end to the catch, an electro-magnet, a lever pivoted to the link and to one pole of the electro-magnet and having a free end normally out of contact with the opposite pole of said magnet, an electric circuit including the electromagnet, means operated by the rotating parts of the hoisting means for closing the electrical circuit through said magnet whereby the free end of said lever will be drawn into contact with the free pole of said magnet and said catch be actuated out of locking relation with said latch through the medium of the link, electric signals, and means actuated by the locks fordisplaying the signals through the operation of the locks upon the opening of the unlatched gate, substantially as described.

7 The combination with a mine gate, of a latch carried by said gate, a catch, a spring normally holding the catch in looking relation with said latch, an electric circuit, an electro-magnet positioned to withdraw said catch from looking relation with the latch when the electric circuit is closed therethrough, a snap switch for closing the electric circuit through said electro-magnet,electric signals, and means actuated by the locks for displaying the signals through the operation of the locks upon the opening of the unlatched door, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a mine gate, of a latch carried by the gate, a catch, a spring normally holding the catch in looking rela' tion with said latch, an electric circuit, an electro-magnet positioned to withdraw said catch from locking relation with said latch when the electric circuit is closed therethrough, a snap switch for closing said elec tric circuit through said electro-magnet, a

pilot lamp in said circuit to indicate the unlocking of the gate through the snapl switch, electric signals, and means actuate by the locks for displaying the signals throughithe operation of the looks upon the opening of the unlatched door, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a mine gate, of an electrically controlled lock for the gate, a key actuating means for operating the lock, an electric signal, means actuated by the lock for displaying the signal upon the opening of the unlatched gate, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a mine gate, of an electrically controlled lock for the gate, a snap switch for closing the electric circuit to operate the look, a pilot lamp, means actuated by the operation of the lock for closing the circuit through the pilot lamp, an electric signal, and means actuated by the lock for displaying the signal upon the opening of the unlatched gate, substantially as described.

GUSTAVE A. SGHREIER.

EDWARD MAIsEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, I). G. l 

